Former store clerk accused of embezzlement

Jessica Brigham of Grand Isle appears at Vermont Superior Court in North Hero on Thursday. She is accused of embezzling money from the Jolley convenience store and gas station in South Hero.(Photo: GLENN RUSSELL/FREE PRESS)Buy Photo

NORTH HERO – A Grand Isle County store clerk is accused of embezzling more than $4,000 from her employer.

Jessica Brigham, 32, of Grand Isle is charged with embezzling $4,141 from Jolly's Short Stop on U.S. 2 in South Hero from Sept. 20 to Nov. 12, 2013. She has pleaded not guilty.

Brigham is free on conditions including that she not have a job in which she handles money.

Sgt. Blake Allen of the Grand Isle County Sheriff's Department said in court papers that Brigham would ring up purchases for customers, and once they left she would void some transactions and take the corresponding money out of the cash register.

Judge A. Gregory Rainville said in court Thursday he is looking to have a trial in November if the case is not resolved. He noted the charge was filed in February.

Defense lawyer Michael Peter Ledden told the judge that much of the case file has been exchanged and evidence viewed, but there is a problem watching a video of some transactions at the cash register.

State's Attorney David Miller said the transactions were copied onto a disk, but for technical reasons can not be viewed.

Chris Hill, an area supervisor for loss prevention at Jolly's, told the court that he, along with one of his bosses and the investigating deputy sheriff, have all viewed the original video. He said a copy on a thumb drive in unviewable for some reason.

Allen wrote in a court affidavit that store manager Susan Hakey said she became suspicious about incorrect amounts of money in the cash register.

Hakey confronted Brigham, a mother of three, who said she was having money problems because she needed to pay rent and her mother had moved out, Allen said.

Contact Mike Donoghue at 660-1845 or mdonoghue@freepressmedia.com. Follow Mike on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FreepsMikeD